Cross-country skiing : Jessie Diggins didn’t give up
A few minutes after Harald Oestberg Amundsen’s solid victory and the superb top 10 finishes by Mathis Desloges and Jules Lapierre in the men’s race, the women’s cross-country skiers brought the first weekend of cross-country ski world cup competition to a close at the mass-start skate in Ruka (Finland).
And it was a race of suspense right down to the last few metres that the world’s best athletes put forward. After battling for a long time to hold on to the leading group led by Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng, Jessie Diggins once again showed unfailing self-sacrifice to claim victory.
Winner of her second big crystal globe last winter, the American made the most of her experience on the final bump of the course to get ahead of her tough rivals. Untouchable in this type of situation, the 33 year-old cross-country skier shone once again to claim her twentieth individual victory on the circuit.
Three tenths of a second behind her, Jonna Sundling also impressed in a distance race. The Swede, who usually plays a leading role in sprints, made a courageous comeback in the final lap, confirming that she will be a force to be reckoned with this winter in these longer formats.
For third place, the battle was between the two Norwegians who led the pack for a long time. And in this little duel, it was Heidi Weng who got the better of Therese Johaug. The two team-mates also put in some fine performances over the opening weekend. This bodes well for the next stage of the circuit, which starts in Lillehammer (Norway) on Friday.
Flora Dolci finishes just outside the top 10
Flora Dolci was in the lead for a long time on the Kuusamo track (Finland), but was unable to keep up with the pace set by the leaders a few kilometres from the finish. Undaunted, the Frenchwoman held on for a place in the top 10. In the end, the Haut-Alpine settled for a very good eleventh place in this first skating race of the season.
It was a minor disappointment for team-mate Delphine Claudel, however. Dropped at the halfway stage of the race, the Bressaude didn’ t manage to catch up with the leading car to hope to get ahead in her favourite discipline. Once again, the Frenchwoman worked her heart out to finish twenty-first, just over ten seconds behind Rosie Brennan in twentieth place.
Behind her, Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie) cross-country skier Léna Quintin crossed the line in forty-third place, just a few seconds ahead of her compatriot Juliette Ducordeau in forty-sixth. Maëlle Veyre, just a stone’s throw behind the Haut-Savoyard and Iséro native, rounded off the French team in forty-eighth place.
The full rankings
The overall distance ranking
The overall World Cup standings
Read also
- Following his ninth place in Ruka, Mathis Desloges takes the green bib as best U23 World Cup finisher
- Ruka: Mathis Desloges and Jules Lapierre in the top 10 of the skate mass-start won by Harald Oestberg Amundsen
- Start lists for the Ruka skate mass-starts
- Ruka: untouchable, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo wins his first classic sprint, Jules Chappaz goes out in the quarters
- Ruka: first World Cup victory for Johanna Hagstroem in the classic sprint
- Ruka: Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo leads the classic sprint qualifier, Jules Chappaz the only Blue in the quarters
- Ruka: Jasmi Joensuu dominates the classic sprint qualifier, no Frenchwoman in the finals
- Ruka: the start lists for the classic sprints
- A year after a furious second place, Iivo Niskanen returns to World Cup victory in Ruka
- Ruka: in his own backyard, Iivo Niskanen shines ahead of the Norwegians, Hugo Lapalus starts with a top 10 finish
- In their first duel, Frida Karlsson gets the better of Therese Johaug
- Ruka: Frida Karlsson takes her first win of the season in style, Mélissa Gal tops the French rankings
